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India’s most expensive cinematic production—a mega-budget retelling of the beloved Hindu epic Ramayana—has divided film critics and cultural purists even as it draws packed crowds across theatres. While audiences have celebrated its ambitious visual scale and star-studded lineup, the film faces sharp pushback over colloquial language, creative departures from classical texts, and an over-reliance on visual effects at the expense of emotional depth.
The Bombay High Court has ordered the Election Commission to restore six members of a Goa family whose names were deleted from the voter rolls during a recent revision drive. Justices Valmiki Menezes and Amit Jamsandekar gave officials 10 days to fix the list and criticized an unfair bureaucratic trap where computer rejections forced regular voters into filing forms meant only for first-time electors.
The Democratic Party’s decisive victory in capturing both chambers of the US Congress marks a watershed moment of institutional recalibration against Trumpism. With President Donald Trump framing the midterms as a personal referendum, voters across historically red strongholds—including Texas, Kansas, and the Carolinas—delivered an unmistakable rebuke, restoring constitutional checks and balances and demonstrating democracy’s resilience against extreme polarization.
A major boardroom battle has surfaced at the Tata Group after the Tata Sons board approved a five-year extension for Executive Chairman N Chandrasekaran and initiated public listing steps over the objections of Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata. With the Trusts citing Article 121 to brand the reappointment a legal nullity and conflicting visions emerging over compliance with the RBI’s Core Investment Company framework, India’s largest conglomerate faces a delicate governance and ownership test at Bombay House.
Following its assembly victory in West Bengal, the BJP has rolled out a major youth engagement initiative titled ‘Yuba Bharat Sankalp’, led by party National President Nitin Nabin and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Addressing 500 young professionals from law, management, and research in Kolkata, Nabin advocated for syllabus reforms emphasizing culture and sports while opening direct administrative dialogue channels to consolidate youth support.
In a major show of unity at Delhi’s Constitution Club, the INDIA bloc has resolved to move a parliamentary removal motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged mass voter deletions during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Announcing a nationwide agitation roadmap, alliance leaders confirmed district-level marches starting October 2, an Opposition MPs’ march to the Election Commission on October 6, and a joint representation to President Droupadi Murmu.
The Calcutta High Court has granted interim bail until October 20 to Congress candidate Milan Pradhan for the upcoming Nandigram Assembly by-election. Questioning the timing of his arrest in connection with 2007 murder cases immediately after filing his nomination, Justice Tirthankar Ghosh noted that the relief ensures a level playing field during campaigning, subject to strict verification conditions and surrender on October 21.
A major controversy has hit the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Karnataka after more than 4,000 Form-7 deletion requests were systematically filed against minority voters in Assembly segments such as Babaleshwar and Bhalki. With local names allegedly forged on pre-printed forms and opposition parties alleging a calculated conspiracy to disenfranchise voters, the Chief Electoral Officer’s office has stepped in to halt arbitrary purges and enforce rigorous on-ground verification.
From October 15, 2026, UPI transactions above ₹2,000 made to merchants will carry a 0.4 percent Merchant Discount Rate (capped at ₹300) to support payment infrastructure and cybersecurity costs. While all person-to-person transfers and 96% of merchant payments remain free with no added cost to consumers, retail bodies like AIMRA have called for a ‘No UPI Day’ protest on October 2, citing steep margin pressures on high-value electronic sales.
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